The present invention relates to visors for vehicles.
Some specialty vehicles such as the Jeep® Wrangler® pose new challenges for providing sun-blocking protection. This particular vehicle has a removable top and the seating area is surrounded by an upper tubular member which has a padded covering. There is no typical permanent roof structure with a header for the installation of conventional visors. The forward windshield area has a bar which supports an elementary visor, but one which cannot be effectively moved to a side window sun-blocking position. The tubular member above the side windows have grab handles which are attached by straps to the padded tubular member in the area in which side sun-blocking protection is desired. This construction presents a difficult environment for the installation of a sun visor for providing side window protection. Although a flexible fabric over-spring sun visor has been provided in a conventional vehicle, as represented by U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,765; such construction cannot be used with the construction of the Jeep® Wrangler® as the padded tubular member and grab handle interferes with the mounting of such a visor in the needed area.
As a result, a new approach to side window sun-blocking protection is necessary particularly in the environment of convertible vehicles when the top is removed. The visor of the present invention meets this challenge in a cost effective and efficient sun-blocking design which can be factory installed by the manufacturer or sold as an aftermarket user-installed accessory.